You come into your place of work in the morning, ready to work. You have a list a mile long and can’t wait to get started. Suddenly, up pops the dreaded, “Update available.” You don’t have time for that. Those updates aren’t that important anyway, right? Maybe you should just skip it.
Unfortunately, that is what many business owners and their employees do. As IT professionals, we beg of you, always opt for the update. It usually only takes a few minutes and it can save you time and money in the end.
5 Reasons To Always Update Your Devices
1. Keeping your computer up-to-date helps protect against security threats
With the ever-changing landscape of cybercrime and hacking, having an updated computer is a crucial part of keeping your business safe and secure. As threats become apparent, technology companies create patches and software updates to combat them. This helps to prevent any potential intrusions or breaches from malicious actors. Keep in mind that these updates aren’t just from your computer companies though. They might come from software that you use on a daily basis or from your web browser. You should always consider them important.
2. Updating your computer can help improve performance and minimize errors
How frustrating is it when your computer can’t keep up with the speed at which you are working? You are on a roll and suddenly, you get the spinning wheel of death. Yep, that is one more reason you should update your computers and other devices.
Computers that are bogged down by old, outdated software can experience slower speeds and more frequent errors. When you keep your system regularly updated, it ensures that all of its components are functioning as they should, resulting in improved performance and fewer errors.
3. Updates can provide new features and enhancements
You are a hip and cool business owner, you want all the bells and whistles, right? Here’s the truth. Most of us get comfortable with how we are doing things. If they never changed our systems we could be perfectly happy. But that’s not the way of the world. And it’s the attitude of hating change that causes many business owners to skip updates. But what if you were missing out on something that could save you money by making you and your staff more efficient at your jobs?
If you’re using an older version of a software program, you may be missing out on new features and enhancements that can improve your workflow. Consider some of your favorite software programs as they are. You love them, if you didn’t have them, you wouldn’t be able to do the things you do. Updates, whether to the computer or software can offer you a whole new range of programs you love. By updating to the latest version, you can take advantage of these new additions and make your work life easier.
4. Staying current can help you avoid compatibility issues
As technology evolves, newer versions of the software are released that may not be compatible with older versions. By updating your computer, you can avoid any potential incompatibility issues and ensure that all of your programs will continue to run smoothly.
5. You may be required to update to continue using certain programs
In some cases, updates are mandatory to keep using certain programs or applications. By regularly updating, you can avoid being locked out of your favorite software and stay productive no matter what tasks lie ahead.
It’s time to train your staff
Now you understand and you will be vigilant about updating your computer. You know that the updates will keep you safe, make your business more efficient and keep you from experiencing downtime. You’re in. But what about your staff?
This is a problem we see a lot. The owner of the company is busy protecting their company by updating their computer, staying vigilant with passwords, and always using multifactor authentication but they don’t relay this same sense of vigilance to their employees.
Cyber Hygiene
As a business owner, you understand the importance of processes. And if you are like us, you have dozens of processes your employees follow every day. But, how many processes do they have that involve cyber hygiene?
If you aren’t sure, don’t worry you aren’t alone. Most of the business owners we speak to don’t have cyber hygiene processes in place for their companies. This is especially true if they don’t have an in-house IT Department. The good news is that outsourcing your IT department can help with that. Our team can help guide you and train your employees on the best policies when it comes to cyber hygiene.
What is Cyber Hygiene?
Cyber hygiene refers to the steps you take with your computer and smart devices. They might include:
- Always choosing to update your devices when you get the notification that an update is available,
- Making sure that the setup of any new computer includes the installation of malware and antivirus software,
- Setting up strong passwords,
- Using multi-factor authentication,
- Making sure any device that is no longer being used is wiped clean of information, or
- Having a process in place to disconnect an employee’s access to information before you let them go.
This is only a partial list but it is probably enough to help you understand the importance of creating processes for your systems. It is also enough to make you want to pull out your hair. How in the world can you possibly get all of that done and still run your business?
That’s where Gryphon can help. Our team can help you make sure updates are completed on not just your device but your employees as well. When you bring on a new employee, our team will set up their computer in a way that keeps it safe and allows you to deny access if the time comes to do so. We can help train your employees to be cyber smart and we can help make sure your devices are disposed of safely when they are out of date.
